Why is it so hard to get a straight answer from a four-year-old?
Michael came bounding downstairs just a few minutes ago, ready to start the day.
“Okay, Michael. What would you like to eat?” I asked him.
“Can I watch something?”
“You know the rules, sport. You have to be ready to go first. Dressed and fed. Then you can watch something. Now, what would you like to eat?”
“Where’s grandma?”
“She’s sleeping.”
“Where’s grandma?”
“She’s sleeping.“
“But where’s grandma?”
“Michael, what would you like to eat?”
“I think maybe…”
(pause for ten seconds)
“…maybe it’s something special…”
(longer pause)
“…and I know about it…”
“For crying out loud, Michael. I’m not in the mood for static. Just give me a straight answer!”
“Something… yummy…”
*sigh*
“Okay, Michael. I’m going to just get you dressed and you can think about food later,” I said.
“Sausage.” he said at last.
“Sausage it is.”
He’s now sitting and eating sausage, chatting with the salt and pepper shakers sitting in front of him on the table. Four is a magical age. For four-year-olds.
Proudly powered by
January 9th, 2009 - 11:19 am
lol, that is frustrating! the g-kid was just eating his lunch and said, “i’m all done, nonna” i go in there and he has taken his paper towel and wadded it up around his hot dog. i told him he was not done and that i don’t like it when he lies to me, and then i had to explain that saying he was all done and hiding the hot dog was lying. ugh
January 9th, 2009 - 1:14 pm
Michael’s been experimenting with lying about stuff like that lately. We’re doing our best to nip it in the bud. Lying is one of the big sins in our household.
January 9th, 2009 - 4:13 pm
I have that same conversation with my daughters. And their teenagers. Good luck…
January 9th, 2009 - 4:41 pm
Via texting? That’s how my teenagers communicate.
January 9th, 2009 - 5:27 pm
This conversation sounds so familiar! You are right – great to be 4 – and great to watch, except when you have to go anywhere or accomplish anything!
January 9th, 2009 - 5:38 pm
Just found your blog through Nonna’s site, looking forward to following. Plus we both have great blog names!
January 9th, 2009 - 5:56 pm
@seashore – you’re right about that. on days when I have to take care of him, my list consists of one agenda item: make sure he’s breathing at the end of the day.
@being – Good to have you here! I’ll have to hop over and check your blog out.
January 9th, 2009 - 7:13 pm
It must definitely be a 4 thing cause I was shaking my head and grinning the whole time I was reading this. Our daughter is the same exact way. Gotta love it .. sometimes.
January 9th, 2009 - 7:25 pm
That’s one of the reasons I’m writing it down. Deep down, I know it’ll pass… and he’ll move on to something else. Then I’ll look back on all of this and wonder what happened to that little boy.
January 9th, 2009 - 7:36 pm
Sausage is yummy. It was a good choice.
January 10th, 2009 - 5:26 am
Oh man – our oldest won’t be 4 until October and I can only imagine the conversations we’ll have.
At least you’re good about getting him fed and dressed before tv. We try the tv in hopes it will take her mind off getting ready.
January 10th, 2009 - 6:14 am
UGH, sometimes they just aren’t in the mood to cooperate.
January 10th, 2009 - 7:05 am
My son would say he wants sausage and then as soon as I set it in front of him, he’d say, “Actually, I want bacon.”
January 10th, 2009 - 7:11 am
@Dad Stuff — yes, it is. He likes the Jimmy Dean stuff. Nothing but the best.
@Tyler — oh, you’re in for such a fun time. You’ll love it, though. The cuteness factor overwhelms the annoyance.
@WeaselMomma — I can count on one hand the number of days per year he IS cooperative.
@Momo — I get that too, from time to time. Then I’ll tell him something like “Well, I want you to behave yourself, but I don’t get what I want either.”
January 10th, 2009 - 11:07 am
Better hope he grows out of it. NukeBoy2 is 8 and still talks like that. I sometimes refer to it as diarrhea of the mouth. Verbal immodium (“PLEASE STOP!”) doesn’t always work either.
January 10th, 2009 - 12:51 pm
His mom and I are considering the old standby: duct tape and a dirty sweat sock.